Why Saving The Income Tax Is Critical For Rural Oklahoma

1. Higher Property Taxes. Every state without an income tax pays more in property taxes than we do in Oklahoma. In Texas, property taxes are almost three times higher. per capita. Money to fund core services has to come from somewhere, and in no-income tax states, ranchers and landowners foot a larger portion of that bill.
2. Closure and Consolidation of Rural Schools. Many of Oklahoma’s rural schools are barely making ends meet. The income tax is the largest state funding source for education. Eliminating the income tax would cripple the under-funded education budget and could force some of these cherished rural schools to close.
3. Loss of Rural Economic Development Incentives. In order to eliminate the income tax, rural Oklahoma will lose valuable economic incentives that help them compete with other areas for jobs.
4. Putting Agricultural Sales Tax Exemptions in Jeopardy. Without an income tax, the sales tax becomes the primary statewide tax. When the state experiences difficult economic times, agricultural sales tax exemptions would be on the chopping block to bring in more revenue to fund core government services.

What You Can Do Today

1. Get Informed. Resources to learn more about the income tax debate are freely available athttps://okpolicy.org/take-action

2. Contact Elected Officials. Let your elected representatives and the top officials who are making decisions on taxes and the budget know how you feel. Your voice can be heard!

CLICK HERE for the PDF version of this factsheet